'Uncle' allegedly raped Rocky girl on sleepover at grandma's

A COMMON sleepover at her great-grandmother's with her cousins turned into a nightmare for one 12-year-old girl.

A man she called "Uncle" is on trial in the Rockhampton District Court for allegedly digitally raping her as she lay next to her cousin on a mattress on the floor.

Crown prosecutor Ryder Reid told the jury in his opening statement on Friday that it was alleged the victim woke up to her "uncle's" hand on her leg and it moved to her genitals where he repeated placed his finger inside. He said the victim's "uncle" was actually a distant relative of the victim's mother.

TRIAL CONTINUING: A man is accused of raping a girl who called him 'uncle'. Thinkstock

Mr Reid explained the victim regularly had sleepovers at the house where her great-grandmother and great-aunt lived, along with "uncle" and his three children who the victim referred to as her cousins.

"On this occasion, she went to sleep on a mattress with her younger cousin next to her," he said.

"The complainant was woken up early the next morning by the (accused) touching her leg.

"He put his finger inside her... repeatedly."

Mr Reid said this stopped when the accused heard the great-grandmother moving about the house.

He said there was a witness in this case - the child who slept next to the victim - but there were some differences in their recollections of the alleged offence.

Mr Reid said it was some months before the victim's mother was made aware of the alleged offence after the witness told another family member who told the mother.